2015 Twelve Days of Christmas Kindness: PART THREE

I have to admit, it gets harder ever year to be creative. But I know that doesn’t matter so much, as just doing something for something else. I don’t have to make it perfect, I just have to make it happen.

So here are the remaining Random Acts of Kindness (RAKs) I did for this years Twelve Days of Christmas Kindness:

RAK 9 – I wasn’t sure we were going to get any snow this week, but we did. And before I could get out and shovel someone else’s sidewalk, my next door neighbors had already done ours and their own! Awesome, right? That was a cool surprise. So, I decided to continue paying that forward. I went and shoveled a different neighbors driveway, instead. I’m not a fan of snow, not gonna lie. But I was glad it arrived this day so I could do something for others.

RAK 10 – There are tons of toy drives this time of year. Pretty much everywhere you go there are groups or businesses collecting toys, to deliver to either hospitals, less than fortunate families in the community, or to group homes. The yoga studio I am apart of has been collecting gifts for the YWCA. Toys for young children and teens were among the suggested gifts. I decided to buy a book-set suitable for a teenager, and I placed it under the tree to be donated. Hopefully whoever ends up with this gift discovers a love for reading or continues to grow an already blossoming love for reading. Plus, the book-set has 6 books in it. So, it’s the kind of gift that will extend over a period of time. YAH!

RAK 11 – When I was planning the RAKs out originally, and all the ideas I could do, I did include the idea of giving blood. This is an important one to me and one I’ve done through the years, whether it’s apart of the 12 Days of Christmas Kindness or not. Well, I went to book my appointment and realized (through conversation with the lady helping me book) that I wasn’t eligible to give blood just yet, due to being tattooed less than six months prior. Doh!! Yes, that is correct. If you have gotten a tattoo, you will need to wait six months before you can give. Well, that tossed that idea under the bus and I had to come up with something else.

But what could I do, on such short notice?

Well, here is an idea you can look for and do, if you too are struggling with finding things to do for others during your mission of RAK.

Notice all the grocery carts scattered among the parking lot at the grocery store? Yah, they are hard not to notice sometimes. Start collecting them and putting them all in one area. Or hell, just bring someone else’s cart back up to the store for them, after they have unloaded their groceries. It’s easy and it’s available pretty much every time you go to the big box stores. Done like dinner!

RAK 12 – Ahhhh the last one. That went quickly!

The last RAK I did was to gather clothes, books and house stuff that I was no longer wearing, reading or interested in, and take it to the second hand store. There are so many people that use second hand stores as a source for their Christmas shopping, especially if they have growing children and cant justify paying full price on a pair of kid’s jeans, which they will just grow out of in a few months. Yes, you are “cleaning out your closet” and doing something for you, but you are also providing new options for families in your community to shop and find lovely things to GIVE or use to make their own holidays special. It’s just another way to help others in a round about way.

I hope you have enjoyed this year’s annual Twelve Days of Christmas Kindness! Thanks for joining in on the giving or simply reading and being a part of my journey.

I’m wishing you a kick ass end to 2015 and an even more kick ass start to the new year. Happy holidays!